ORCID Profile
0000-0002-9368-512X
Current Organisation
Australian National University
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Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 20-09-2021
DOI: 10.1101/2021.09.16.460701
Abstract: In the era of the Anthropocene, habitat loss and environmental change threaten the persistence of many species. Genotyping-By-Sequencing (GBS) is a useful molecular tool for understanding how patterns of gene flow are associated with contemporary habitat distributions that may be affected by environmental change. Two parapatric subspecies of the threatened thick-billed grasswren (TBGW Amytornis modestus ) more frequently occur in different plant communities. As such, a preference for plant community type could reduce subspecific introgression and increase genetic ersity at the parapatric boundary. We aimed to measure gene flow within and among two TBGW subspecies and tested whether ergent genomic markers were associated with plant community type. We sequenced 118 in iduals from either of the two TBGW subspecies or in the region of parapatry and identified 7583 SNPs through ddRADseq. We found evidence of asymmetric gene flow and a genomic pattern of isolation-by-distance. There were sixteen genomic outliers correlated with plant community type (regardless of location). These findings show that plant community type does not prevent introgression in one subspecies ( A. m. raglessi ), but low dispersal and habitat heterogeneity could contribute to the maintenance of distinct subspecific morphotypes. Local adaptation in different plant community types could also provide a mechanism for future ergence. We suggest subspecific introgression could increase genetic variation and the adaptive potential of the species, facilitating species persistence under conditions of climate change. Characterising gene flow facilitates conservation management. This study used genomic markers to measure gene flow between thick-billed grasswren subspecies and found results that support taxonomic identification of the two subspecies and suggests grasswrens have low dispersal and may benefit from increased genetic ersity. Recognition of models of ergence with gene flow will be necessary for future conservation management.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2017
DOI: 10.1071/ZO17081
Abstract: Habitat heterogeneity can have considerable effects on gene flow and migration across a region of parapatry. Describing habitat across a region of parapatry is important for the development of eco-evolutionary theory. Two subspecies of thick-billed grasswren (Amytornis modestus) share a region of parapatry between the South Australian salt lakes, Lake Eyre and Lake Torrens. While the two subspecies remain morphologically erged outside the region of parapatry, it is not known what factors within the region of parapatry may affect migration and gene flow. In this study, we test associations between habitat differences and subspecies distributions and discuss whether ecological barriers could play a role in mitigating gene flow between the subspecies. We compare dominant plant species (1) between the allopatric ranges of the subspecies and within their region of parapatry, and (2) in relation to presence or absence of grasswrens within their region of parapatry. We found that the dominant plant species differed between grasswren subspecies in their allopatric range and in their region of parapatry, and also differed in the region of parapatry at sites with or without grasswrens. Specifically, grasswrens were absent in vegetation that is typical of sand dunes. These findings are discussed in light of evidence for secondary contact and hybridisation between A. m. indulkanna and A. m. raglessi, and susceptibility to introgression.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-04-2017
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 11-12-2019
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 26-07-2016
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 18-04-2017
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-11-2017
DOI: 10.1111/MEC.14385
Abstract: Extra-pair paternity (EPP), where offspring are sired by a male other than the social male, varies enormously both within and among species. Trying to explain this variation has proved difficult because the majority of the interspecific variation is phylogenetically based. Ideally, variation in EPP should be investigated in closely related species, but clades with sufficient variation are rare. We present a comprehensive multifactorial test to explain variation in EPP among in iduals in 20 populations of nine species over 89 years from a single bird family (Maluridae). Females had higher EPP in the presence of more helpers, more neighbours or if paired incestuously. Furthermore, higher EPP occurred in years with many incestuous pairs, populations with many helpers and species with high male density or in which males provide less care. Altogether, these variables accounted for 48% of the total and 89% of the interspecific and interpopulation variation in EPP. These findings indicate why consistent patterns in EPP have been so challenging to detect and suggest that a single predictor is unlikely to account for the enormous variation in EPP across levels of analysis. Nevertheless, it also shows that existing hypotheses can explain the variation in EPP well and that the density of males in particular is a good predictor to explain variation in EPP among species when a large part of the confounding effect of phylogeny is excluded.
Publisher: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
Date: 12-01-2007
Abstract: The insect order of Hymenoptera (ants, bees, sawflies, and wasps) consists almost entirely of haplodiploid species. Under haplodiploidy, males develop from unfertilized eggs and are haploid, whereas females develop from fertilized eggs and are diploid. Although diploid males commonly occur, haploid females have never been reported. In analyzing the phenomenon of gynandromorphism in the parasitoid wasp Nasonia vitripennis, we found a line that generates complete phenotypic females from unfertilized eggs. These females have ovaries, can lay eggs, and are haploid, as shown by cytological and flow cytometric analyses. The data show that diploidy is not necessary for female development.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 16-12-2019
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-06-2018
Location: Australia
No related grants have been discovered for Marina Louter.